PRICE CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1941, Page 5

PRICE CONTROL

ACTION BY GOVERNMENT

REGARDING ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES.

AND PUBLIC SERVICES

ißv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

A range of 38 essential commodities is to be stabilised in price as from September 1. This is an instalment of the Government's policy of price stabilisation and. is in accord with the recommendations of the Economic Stabilisation Conference. In making the announcement, the ActingPrime Minister, Mr Xasli. said the decision was made in consultation with the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, and the Price Investigation Tribunal.

"It will be recalled." said Mr Nash, "that the Economic Stabilisation Conference recommended that prices of essential foodstuffs, standard articles of clothing and footwear and public services. fuel and light should be stabilised." The following items, which come within this category, had now been selected for stabilisation from September 1:—

Foodstuffs: Meat, flour, milk, sugar, bacon, cheese, honey, bread, eggs, butter. coffee, condensed milk, tea, rolled cats, oatmeal, baking powder, salt. New Zealand-made Clothing and Footwear: Men's, women's, boys' and girls' shoes* (New Zealand leather in each case), men's all-wool underwear, women's woollen underwear, boys' allwool underwear, boys’ all-wool jerseys, girls' all-wool underwear, men's woollen socks, boys' school hose, woollen piece goods, knitting wools, blankets, suitings (from New Zealand wools), shoe repairs. Public Services, Fuel and Light: Tram fares, electric light, gas, coal, coke.

Referring .to existing conditions, Mr Nash explained that a measure of stability had already been given to prices of some of these commodities. Meat, for instance, had recently been subject to a price order which brought an allround reduction of from Id to Id per lb and, subject, to seasonal influences, the stabilisation will apply to the reduced prices.

Action was being taken, Mr Nash stated, to stabilise the price of flour to the consumer. The price of tea was not to be allowed to go any higher. Subsidies would be involved in some cases, particularly in regard to imported commodities. The policy of the Government was to secure and maintain price stabilisation for essential commodities and wherever necessary the Government would take appropriate action to extend the list and. if circumstances warranted it. to stabilise the price at a lower level.